Who’s in the F1 hotseat?

The chariots of the tarmac return to SuperSport screens when the 2014 Formula 1 season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix, taking place on Sunday 16 March on SS6/SS1HD at 6:30am WAT and via live video streaming on supersport.com.

As to be expected, there’s been plenty of buzz surrounding upgrades to cars and the drivers who will be competing for championship honours.

Red Bull
Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel has expressed a degree of concern regarding Red Bull’s new V6 engine. Both Vettel and his new teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, struggled with the new engine during pre-season trials.

Other teams will hope Red Bull’s engine worries persist throughout the season in the hope of ending Vettel’s dominance in Formula 1.

Mercedes GP
Last season’s runner-ups, Mercedes GP, have much to prove in 2014: the team unveiled the F1 W05, which is expected provide an edge for its drivers.

Bosom buddies/teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have given the car that boasts a sloping nose, not unlike an anteater, their stamp of approval. Whether the car lives up to all the hype remains to be seen .

Ferrari
We just can’t wait for the tussle between Ferrari’s newest driver, Kimi Raikkonen, andFernando Alonso to take shape.

Granted, the racers are in the same team but, we feel it will be only a matter of the time before their competitive natures kick in and this could be exactly what Team Ferrari needs.

Lotus F1 Team
Out of the teams in our list, Lotus go to Australia with the least to be confident about, although the tactical team has been working overtime during the pre-season to ensure the car is ready for competition.

All eyes will be on Romain Grosjean and his new teammate, Pastor Maldonado, who will have to somehow pull a rabbit of a hat in the E22 car that may even struggle to finish the race.

McLaren
McLaren failed to live up to expectation in 2013 and with drivers Jenson Button and F1 debutant Kevin Magnussen, they will be hoping for better fortunes in the 2014 season.

Find out how the new cars and drivers will perform at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday 16 March on SS6/SS1HD at 6:30am WAT and via live video streaming on supersport.com.